So the other day I noticed an interesting band named, The Unseen Strangers at number 25 on the Roots Music Folk Chart. The album was Follow the Sound, I looked around at several music sites and I couldn’t find the album. What I did find was their 2010 release Time Travel, so I settled for that album. Well I shouldn’t say settled because the albums is terrific! First there’s the picking which is outstanding. Any band that kicks off an album with an instrumental, in this case, a track titled “Windmill Road” has my attention immediately! On the second track, it was the tasty fiddle and then the mandolin on the next track, after it may have been the banjo! Because you see that the picking throughout the album is great! Then there are the vocals and songs which are just as good and when you put it all together you get a really fine bluegrass from this five man band from Canada!!
The members of the band are:Adam Shier Guitar/Vocals,Dan Latner Fiddle/Vocals, Matt Elwood Banjo/Vocals, James McEleney Bass/Vocals and Mike Mezzatesta Mandolin. The band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2007 and within two years, their debut release Shoot First won the 2009 Music Nova Scotia Award for “Country/Bluegrass Recording of the Year”. The know good music up in Nova Scotia. From their website:
The Unseen Strangers have ambitiously cultivated a musical identity shaped by good old-fashioned bluegrass, the limitless barrage of contemporary musical influences, and a relentlessly curious sense of humour. The Strangers draw from the beeps and buzzes of the modern world to create an imaginative, energetic brand of acoustic music that is unmistakably their own. The band has toured Eastern Canada three times, performing showcases at NXNE and OCFF to name a few, and is a favorite at festivals featuring genres spanning Folk, Country, Bluegrass, Rock, and Electronic.
Oh, by the way, Follow the Sound was originally released as an EP, a full album with the same title will be released on April 2, 2013, and I know I’m marking the date on my calendar!!
Here’s the official video for their song “I Don’t Know”